Articles @ Long Grove Web>> Dynamic Websites
When we see the word dynamic, we may think that this is a description of high-impact content. The way the word is commonly used for Websites means that the content is drawn from other sources, like databases, and displayed on the page as if it were hard-coded there.
In the last article, we mentioned that hosting servers can be either Windows- or Linux-based. In the Windows world, the pages are usually .ASP. This type of Web programming lends itself very well to included content, and has many built-in features to connect and display database information or other included files.
In the Linux world, the pages can either be titled .SHTML which allows for content inclusion or .PHP, a scripting language that works well with a database background. There are other methods as well: pages ending in .cfs are Cold Fusion pages, .ASPX is Microsoft's .NET (dot net) file extension, which adds features to .ASP.
Most business owners with Websites sooner or later wish they had the opportunity to update pages themselves instead of relying on a Web programmer. There are three ways that they can accomplish this. The first is to learn how to program Web pages. The second, is to use a Content Management system for the entire Website. The third is to use some kind of application that allows them to type the included content in some sort of interface, submit it, and have it appear on the Web.
The first choice is only good for a very few people. The second is pretty restrictive since most content management systems define the page layout first and only allow you to change the text within predefined text areas. The third choice allows a litle more freedom, but it only allows for the updating of certain pages and is probably not practical for a whole site.
At Long Grove Web, I am writing the articles in a text box on a Web page. They are saved to a database. When you view the information page, it displays the articles it finds in the database, or at least the title, creation date, and the beginning of the text. This kind of application works well for "What's New" pages and content that changes frequently.
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